The present invention relates to a new and improved cleaning machine for fiber material or the like.
In its more specific aspects the cleaning machine for fiber or fibrous material comprises an opening roller rotatable about an axis of rotation and provided with clothing. Arranged in the following order around the opening roller are a feed device for the fiber material, a grating composed of bars, a suction chamber and a screening member, these components or parts which are arranged around the opening roller extend over the length of the latter in the direction of the rotational axis of such opening roller. The screening member has a nose or nose member which forms part of an entry or inlet opening of a suction duct leading away from the suction chamber, and a screening wall of the screening member extends away from the nose in the rotational direction of the opening roller over a part of the roller envelope or outer surface containing or enclosing the points or tips of the clothing.
From German Published Patent Application No. 1,010,878 or from German Pat. No. 1,685,571, it is known, for example, to place fiber material in rapid rotation by means of an opening roller for the purpose of cleaning the material, whereby as a result of the centrifugal forces thus produced the impurities, for example, seeds and dust particles fly out of the fiber material. These outwardly propelled impurities are then led away through a grating or grating arrangement extending over a part of the envelope or outer surface of the opening roller.
A screening member with a screening sheet serves for the removal of the fiber material clinging to the clothing of the opening roller, this screening sheet extending over part of the envelope or outer surface of the opening roller at a small, constant spacing from the clothing. A nose is provided at the front end (considered with reference to the direction of rotation of the opening roller) of the divertor member or screening sheet. Fiber material freed from the clothing by the screening member passes into a suction duct through which it is transported away for further processing.